Sale will be held Thursday June 21st from 9am-4pm
830 El Chorro Way Sacramento 95864

This bio was lovingly shared by daughter Betty Ross

Our parents, David and Helen Ross, were married for 47 years but if it were not for WW II their paths would never have crossed. David was born in 1912 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Canada. His American born parents were on their way to the Alaskan Gold Rush. 4 children later they were in Calgary, Alberta. They stayed there until our father was in junior high school. His school is still standing there. The next move was to Vancouver, BC and 4 more children were born. He graduated at age 16 and moved by himself to Washington to live with an uncle.

He wound up in Los Angeles and began working as a drug salesman for Brunswig Drug Company. He also had the time to indulge his golf passion and won some tournaments. He was one of the first men called up for the draft and enlisted in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Ord and was on the golf course when the sirens rang and the course was cleared. Pearl Harbor had been bombed and now the U.S. was at war. He was assigned to the medical unit to be in charge of the medical supplies, a job he had for the duration of the war. He was assigned to Taunton, England at an army base in 1942 where he met our mother.

Helen was born in 1916 in Washington, DC the oldest of 3 children. Her father came from a musical family and he was a well known band director for the Catholic schools in the area. His father and brother ran a music studio out of their home. One of the ironies of life is that years later a granddaughter would live in a brownstone directly across from where her Grandmother had lived! The family lived in the city and Helen graduated from Catholic University in 1938. After working a couple of years for the government she joined the Red Cross and was transferred to the same base in Taunton where they met. Years later she and her daughter went back and saw the same living room where this meeting occurred.

Helen’s job was to organize dances for the GI’s on base. They would bus the women in from the nearby towns, have the social, and then get them back home before the blackouts. Her letters described him as “my main thrill” and they would spend as much time together on leave as they could. They were married at St. Andrews, Scotland in March 1944 as my father was aware an invasion of France would be eminent. He was involved in D-Day plus 10 as he had the medical supplies. A month later my mother and another Red Cross worker arrived in Grandcamp (near Point deHoc) to set up social center but the fighting had not stopped in St. Lo. There was no electricity or hot water at the time. She did meet Ernie Pyle, the war correspondent. We were able to return to that area for the 50th celebration of D-Day and a year later to revisit the area again.

Marriages were not allowed by the Red Cross workers and also the military, so when she discovered she was pregnant in September she resigned and returned home to live in her family home. We have over 100 letters from our father anxious about her health, the new baby, etc. and expressing frustration at the slow delivery of mail. He was discharged in Sept. 1945 and came to DC to briefly stay there before taking the train to Los Angeles to continue with his employment at Brunswig. He was required to be in the Army Reserves for 5 years.

This began a new chapter in their lives. A second child was born in December 1946. They moved to Pasadena a block from the Rose Parade. He was promoted to manager in the new Sacramento office in 1951. They moved to a starter home on Fitch Way. A third child was born in 1951. Our father decided a bigger home was needed when he could not use the bathroom when he needed with 5 in the family and so they moved to this home. It was the developer’s home in 1949 and then our home. Only 2 families have occupied this home. Dad grew an orchard in the back which produced fruit for years.

They involved themselves in the community. They were one of the founding families of the new St. Ignatius Church and charter member of the North Ridge Country club. Our mother’s natural ability to work well with people and Red Cross skills helped to be involved in Scouts and social groups. They had varied interests as our father loved golf, music, and photography. Our mother loved jewelry and antiques!

He retired in 1969 and bought a muffler company and then founded his own security company. Our mother was able to travel more during this time with her daughter. He had to finally retire in 1981 due to poor health but could still enjoy cruises and especially his grandchildren. He died in 1991. It was an adjustment for Mom but fortunately her daughter in law was able to fill a void for her by assisting and accompanying her to her social groups. Mom broke her hip at age 86 and stayed with her daughter until her passing in her own home at 96. We still miss our parents very much.

The grandchildren continued to visit the house and have done so well into their twenties. It has as much meaning for them as it does for us. Two generations have been in this house but now it is time for a new family to occupy the home. We hope they will have the happiness this home brought all of us, and hopefully may also have grandchildren to share it.

Enjoy the shopping experience that Jennie and her crew have created for you!